Det spanske imperiet. Imperial etos, identitet og legitimitetsgrunnlag

In: Internasjonal politikk, Band 66, Heft 1, S. 121-131

Abstract

The article presents the argument that imperialism and nationalism are not necessarily contradictions. The article argues that empires are more than administrative entities without a collective identity and the Spanish Empire's legitimacy based on exporting its national identity to all parts of the empire is used as an example. Other empires were also based on a collective identity and promoted this identity to legitimize colonial and imperial expansion. The article states that religion was the imperial ethos for the Spanish empire in the late 15th and 16th century. The relationship between church and state underwent significant changes that resulted in a religious basis for political units collective identity, empires and/or states. A brief historical review of the Spanish Empire is presented. The relationship between empire, state, and nationalism is discussed. The role of religion in colonial expansion is explored. This article is one in a series of articles on the topic of empires. References. E. Sundby